Sterile package wrap for gloves



May 21, 1968 N. H. NYE

STERILE PACKAGE WRAP FOR GLOVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1965 vK? 3 6 m F vv J 7 v a ,3

INVENTOR. NORMAN H. NYE

BY am a 02% ATTYS.

United States Patent 3,384,225 STERILE PACKAGE WRAP FOR GLOVES Norman H.Nye, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assignor to Menypac Corporation, Akron, Ghio,a corporation of Ohio Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.411,781, Nov. 17, 1964. This application Mar. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 443,565

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-632) ABSTRACT OF THE DICLOSURE A package for surgicalgloves and the like which comprises an inner sheet folded to comprise apackage enclosing a pair of surgical gloves which has an opening flap onthe top surface thereof to enable opening of the folded sheet to exposethe gloves without contaminating the gloves, and an outer sheet slightlylarger than the inner sheet folded around the inner sheet when it is inpackaged form to hold the sheet in position, where the outer sheet hasan opening flap substantially aligned with the opening flap of the innersheet, and where the package can be handled and stored without anydanger of contaminating the gloves contained therein once they have beenproperly sterilized.

The present invention is a continuation in part of my prior applicationSer. No. 411,781, filed Nov. 17, 1964, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to packages for surgical gloves and thelike.

Heretofore, it has been customary in many instances to provide a pair ofrubber latex or other surgical gloves that are sold and distributed in apackage, which gloves normally are used only once and then discarded.Obviously with many thousands of these gloves being used daily, it is anappreciable production problem to not only make these surgical gloves,but to package them in a manner for shipment and ultimate use, thegloves usually being sterilized in their packages at some time beforethey are used.

U.S. Patent No. 3,107,786 shows one type of a surgical glove packagethat is in relatively wide commercial use at the present time. In thispackage, an inner wrap is provided by a relatively elongate rectangularsheet that has the ends thereof folded inwardly upon themselves to covera pair of gloves that are juxtaposed in longitudinally spaced relationon the elongate inner wrap or sheet. Then an outer sheet, which is ofgenerally diamond shape, is manually folded around the inner wrap andthe two gloves are superimposed by an ultimate longitudinal fold of theouter wrap and the inner wrap and glove contents.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved package for surgical gloves and the like, and to provide novelpackage forming blanks that can be secured around a pair of gloves, toprovide an outer wrap that can be opened without contacting an innerwrap around the packaged articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a surgical glove packagemade from sections of longitudinally extending wrapper strips that havebeen folded to provide some longitudinally extending fold lines therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved glove packagethat can be formed inexpensively and which is adapted to provideconveniently opened sterile packaged surgical gloves at minimum expense.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will bemade more apparent as the specification proceeds.

Attention now is particularly directed to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

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FIG. 1 is a plan view of a completed package embodying the principles ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the package of FIG. 1 with the package beingpartially opened to expose the outer sheet of the package;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the package of FIG. 2 after the outer wrappingsheet has been opened and the inner package has been folded from acompact closed position to partially open condition for ready access tothe contents of the inner wrap;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken on line 55 ofFIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view, similar to FIG. 4 of a modification of theinvention showing an opened outer sheet and a partly opened inner sheet.

Broadly speaking, the present invention relates to a generallyrectangular package means for surgical gloves and the like, whichpackage comprises a rectangular inner sheet that is folded back uponitself at its lateral edges to overlap at the center of the package andform top and bottom layers with gloves received therebetween, whichinner sheet has an opening flap on the exposed surface thereof at theoverlapped areas thereof, a generally rectangular outer sheet enclosingthe inner sheet by transversely extending overlapped sections folded infrom its lateral margins with a longitudinally extending opening flapb..- ing accessible and provided on the upper surface thereof, saidouter sheet being folded on itself from top to bottom thereof, andadhesive means retaining the outer sheet in a releasable folded positionencompassing the inner sheet and the contents thereof.

When referring to corresponding members shown in the drawings anddescribed in the specification, corresponding numerals are used tofacilitate comparison therebetween.

Reference now is particularly directed to the details of this structureshown in the accompanying drawings, and a novel surgical glove packageof the invention is indicated as a whole by the numeral 1. This packagereceives a pair of conventional rubber latex or other gloves 2 and 3therein. FIGURE 4 of the drawings shows that a rectangular inner sheet 4is provided in the package and that the gloves 2 and 3 are positioned toextend longitudinally of this inner sheet 4 at the center thereof. Sideportions 5 and 6, respectively, of the inner sheet 4 are folded in overthe gloves 2 and 3 to overlap at the center of the package. The innersheet 4 is approximately four times the height of the individual glovesas laid out in flat positions on the inner sheet 4 whereby the innersheet will cover the gloves 2 and 3 and can be folded transverselythereover. It should be noted that the edge 5a of the portion 5 of thisinner sheet is folded outwardly back upon itself to provide the flap 5ato facilitate opening the inner sheet without touching the contentsthereof. The inner sheet 4 and the gloves therein are usually manuallyfolded into a complete package 4a when operatively placed on an outersheet for final wrapping.

An outer rectangular sheet 7 is provided in the package 1 and, as afeature of the invention, this outer sheet 7 has transversely extendingmarginal portions 8 and 9 folded back upon the center portion of thesheet 7. An edge' 8a of the portion 8 is folded out and back on theportion 8 to form an opening flap or section to facilitate access to thecontents of the package 1 while retaining the contents thereofcompletely sterile.

FIG. 4 of the drawings shows that the inner sheet and associated glovesare positioned substantially centrally of the outer sheet 7 and with thelongitudinal axis of the inner sheet 4 being parallel to and preferablycoinciding with the longitudinal axis of the outer sheet 7 and with thetransverse axes of these sheets being parallel and preferably beingsuperimposed. The unit formed from the inner sheet is positioned in oneof the fold sections to be provided in the outer sheet.

Usually the inner sheet 4 and its contents will be manually orautomatically folded or prepared to form the side portions 5 and 6 andthe flap 5a thereon, and the prepared, completely folded unit can eitherbe manually or automatically positioned upon the outer sheet in thecentral area thereof, as indicated. As a part of the inner wrap, sideportions 5 and 6 are folded in over the gloves 2 and 3 at the fold orscore lines 13 and 14. Then the gloves are brought into superimposedrelation by folding a lower section 15 of the sheet up over a lowercenter section 16 of the sheet. A completely enclosed inner package isprovided by suitably folding an upper center section 17 and an upperedge section 18 over and around the lower center section 16 and thelower section 15.

The outer sheet 7 as shown in FIG. 4, is substantially twice as wide asthe package prepared of the inner sheet 4 and gloves 2 and 3 so thatwhen its side portions 8 and 9 are folded inwardly on the fold lines 19and 20 upon the inner sheet 4 and its contents, the gloves arecompletely enclosed.

To complete the package 1 of the invention, the partial ly formedpackage, as shown in FIG. 2, then has its bottom section 21 folded upover the adjacent lower center section 22, after which the outer sheet 7and the assembly so formed is folded over an upper center section 23 andan upper section 24 to completely enclose the inner sheet 4 and thepackage in. Thereafter, the package 1 can be completed and the section24 can be retained in its folded position by some conventional member,such as a strip or tab 25 that has a conventional pressure sensitiveadhesive provided thereon whereby the package 1 of the invention isformed but with the contents thereof being readily available and beingpresented for use by merely opening the package 1 by pulling theadhesive tape 25 free, and then unfolding the sections 8 and 9 of theouter sheet. FIG. 3 best shows that the section 9 overlaps and is on topof the section 8 so that the inner edge of the section 9 can be graspedand lifted so that the edge or flap 8a is exposed and both sections 8and 9 of the outer sheet can be folded outwardly with no contact withthe inner package. Next, another person, such as a sterile nurse, canunfold the inner package 1a and open it first by the top edge section 6and next by the edge or flap 5:: with no contact with the gloves 2 and 3that are presented in sterile form for use by a doctor or other person.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the top and bottomedges of both an inner sheet 4a and an outer sheet 7a are of zigzagshape. Otherwise, the sheets 4a and 7a are similar to the sheets 4 and 7and have similar opening flaps 5a and 8a therein. A subassembly providedby the inner sheet in and the gloves received therein has a generallydiamond shaped upper portion 18a in the partially formed assembly, andan indented V-shaped lower section 15:: at the opposite longitudinalmargin of the partially folded inner sheet. Then by merely folding thisinner sheet one more time longitudinally upon itself, an inner enclosureis provided. The final package assembly can be produced by then foldingthe outer sheet 7a around the inner package.

It should be noted that the packaging materials of the invention can beassociated with a pair of rubber gloves, or the like, at any desiredtime. Thus, if the rubber gloves are of the type that can be reused,then the packaging material would be provided to the hospital or otherusing organization, at which place the gloves would be packaged in themanner disclosed. Then the packaged gloves would be subjected tosuitable sterilization action so that the gloves could be presented to asurgeon or other sterile person in completely sterile, untouched formand with no possible contamination of the gloves by any person openingthe package of the invention.

In my other application Ser. No. 411,781, it is a feature of theinvention that the inner and/or outer sheets of the packaging materialare each provided with an outwardly folded edge section similar'to theflaps or edge sections 5a and 8a disclosed herein, at each margin of thesheets. Such outwardly open flaps on the sheets are available forgrasping action to open the outer and/or inner sheet without anypossible contact with the contents of the package, or of any contactwith the inner sheet and its contents when the outer sheet is beingopened. Hence, in practice of the present invention, it is preferred touse the overlapped sheet construction as shown herein, but if desired,the overlapped edge portions of the outer and inner sheets as showncould be replaced by bending or folding the overlapping edge of thesheet outwardly back upon itself to provide a package opening means likethat shown in my prior application. However, the sheets may be of suchsize that the folded over edges may abut or overlap each other when theside or end portions of the sheet are folded in to overlap the packagedarticle or the inner sheet.

The inwardly folded edge sections of the sheets may overlap at anycentral area of the sheets.

An end portion of the tab 25 can be folded back on itself at 26 to forma suitable member to grasp to facilitate opening the package 1.

It will be realized that any suitable porous papers can be used to formthe inner sheet 4 and outer sheet 7. These porous papers are of the typethat can be exposed to sterilization conditions without damage. Hence,after the package 1 has been formed, the complete package can besubjected at any suitable time to conventional sterilization procedures,such as being sterilized by heat, or by being exposed to suitableoxidation or sterilization gases.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed that the objects of theinvention have been achieved by the provision of a new and improvedmethod of forming a surgical glove package, or the like and to the newpackage produced.

While two complete embodiments of the invention have been disclosedherein, it will be appreciated that modification of these particularembodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing fromthe scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rectangular surgical glove package comprising a pair ofsuperimposed gloves,

a generally rectangular inner sheet having transverse and longitudinalaxes, said sheet having top and bottom layers with gloves receivedtherebetween substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, said innersheet being overlapped on the top layer by edge portions folded in fromthe sides of the sheet, said inner sheet having an opening flap bentback on itself at the overlapped edge portions, generally rectangularouter sheet larger than said inner sheet enclosing said inner sheet bylateral marginal portions folded in on said inner sheet and by top andbottom portions of such folded sheet being folded in and around saidinner sheet, said outer sheet being overlapped on a top layer formedtherein by edge portions folded in from the sides of the sheet, saidouter sheet having an opening flap pro vided in its top layer, saidsheets being positioned with the longitudinal axes thereof substantiallysuperimposed and folded at least twice from top to bottom to form apackage about the width of the superimposed gloves, and means retainingsaid outer sheet in a releasable folded position whereby said outersheet can be opened without any contact with said inner sheet, whichinner sheet can be opened without any contact with said gloves.

2. A rectangular surgical glove package comprising a pair of gloves,

a generally elongated rectangular inner sheet which has top and bottomlayers with gloves received therebetween substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the sheet, said inner sheet being overlapped on thetop layer by the edge portions folded in from the short sides of thesheet, said inner sheet having an opening flap bent uniformly back onitself adjacent the edge of one of the short sides so overlapping of theedge portions extends substantially only the width of the opening flap,and being folded at least two times from top to bottom to enclose saidgloves completely,

a generally elongated rectangular outer sheet which has top and bottomlayers with the folded inner sheet received therebetween substantiallyparallel to the longitudinal axis of its sheet, said outer sheet beingoverlapped on the top layer by edge portions folded in from the shortsides of the sheet, said outer sheet having an opening flap bentuniformly back on itself adjacent the edge of one of the short sides sooverlapping of the edge portions extends substantially only the width ofthe opening flap, and being folded at least two times from top to bottomto enclose said inner sheet completely, and means retaining said outersheet in a releasable folded position whereby said outer sheet can beopened without any contact with said inner sheet, which inner sheet canbe opened without any contact with said gloves.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,062,371 11/ 1962 Patience206-632 3,072,249 1/ 1963 Tritsch 20663.2 3,107,786 10/ 1963 Adelman206-632 3,225,920 12/1965 Reilly 206--63.2

FOREIGN PATENTS 15,724 1910 Great Britain.

MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner.

